Conventionally, any object having sufficient buoyancy to float in a body of water and to support at least a portion of the weight of a human body or other object can be used as a flotation device, either for recreational, utility, or safety purposes. However, modern adaptations to this concept have led to the creation of flotation devices specifically suited to certain purposes.
For example, the “life saver” flotation device is a renowned safety apparatus, having a ring shape with a diameter sized to encircle a user's torso and/or waist, while preventing passage of the user's shoulders and/or arms, such that a user can be suspended by the device in a position that retains the user's head above water. A similar device, the inner tube, is designed primarily for recreational use, having an inflatable, ring-shaped body. In use, a user is able to lay across or stand within the open center of the tube, while the body of the tube supports the user's arms and/or legs. Numerous other types of inflatable floats (e.g., “pool floats”) exist, having a variety of shapes and features, each functioning via the same concept: supporting at least a portion of a user's body atop an inflated/buoyant surface.
One common and relatively inexpensive recreational flotation device has become colloquially known as the “pool noodle” or swim noodle, due to its elongate, noodle-like shape. The pool noodle is also called a water log or woggle in various regions of the world. A pool noodle is generally an elongate, cylindrical piece of foamed material (e.g., polyethylene foam or a similar material), able to be elastically deformed by a user under the user's weight and/or using manual force. While typically unsuitable for use as a safety apparatus, pool noodles are common recreational items due to ease of construction, and inexpensive materials and manufacturing methods. In use, a user can simply grasp any portion of a pool noodle to add buoyancy to his or her body, straddle the pool noodle, or a number of other configurations and uses. However, the lack of an enclosed shape and/or structure causes engagement with a pool noodle to be difficult to maintain, as it is primarily the user's strength and/or grasp that maintains engagement with the noodle rather than the structure thereof. This difficulty is especially apparent for child-aged users, elderly users, users having disabilities, users lacking in upper body strength, etc.
Due to its deformability, one use of pool noodles includes tying and/or otherwise securing the ends thereof together to form a loop having an approximate teardrop shape. When used to form an enclosed shape in this manner, the pool noodle mimics the functionality of conventional ring-shaped flotation devices, and is often used for instructional swimming (e.g., for children and/or persons with disabilities) due to the greater security and stability provided to a user and the ability of the enclosed structure to retain a user's arms and head above water. However, the motions of children can often be unpredictable or erratic, and child-aged users, being smaller than adults, are often able to become disengaged from a pool noodle secured in this manner. These same difficulties are also present when using conventional ring-shaped floats with child-aged users. Additionally, the foamed material of pool noodles is easily damaged and/or degraded, both through regular use and the more extensive forces (impacts, chewing, extreme bending, etc.) often imparted thereto by child-aged users. Further, while a child-aged user that becomes disengaged from a floatation device may still be able to locate and grasp the device to remain above water, a blind user and/or a user that is physically and/or otherwise disabled may be unable to remain afloat should the flotation device become disengaged from the user's body.
A need exists for flotation devices usable to securely retain users in a manner that prevents disengagement of the user's body from the flotation device, while resisting degradation and/or destruction thereof.